Student Showcase

Around one hundred students participate in this exhibition of undergraduate and graduate scholarship demonstrating the wide spectrum of University student research projects. Student Showcase offers students a significant forum for communicating the importance of their research to the broader University of Arizona community.

Implemented in 1992-93 by the GPSC, Student Showcase represents a campus wide student-run research exhibition at the University of Arizona. Students who participate in this event can be proud of their efforts and academic achievements. Demonstrating the valuable research that takes place at the University, Student Showcase also has the honor of including state representatives and many other community members as judges.

Students should prepare a 5 minute oral presentation to accompany a poster/visual aid. Maximum size of poster/visual aid is 36" tall by 48" wide. Your poster/visual aid may be formatted in portrait or landscape, as long as the dimensions do not exceed the maximum.

During the evaluation process, judges view student's presentation and rates it according to overall display, clarity of presentation, and the student's ability to express the importance/significance of the work to its respective field(s).

Below is the criteria of what will be evaluated:

Criteria for Oral Presentation

1. Presentation provides background information that supports overall understanding.  _______________
2. Presentation is clear and organized, so that it is easy to follow. __________________
3. The contribution to the relative field(s) is well articulated. ___________________
4. Explanation is jargon-free so that lay audiences would understand. _______________
5. Strength of engagement with the audience (i.e., body language, eye contact, vocal range, not referencing notes)  ____________
6. Does the presenter use the poster/visual aid effectively during the presentation? _____________

Criteria for Poster/ Visual component

1. Does the poster/visual convey enough information for understanding the scope of the project? (i.e., can the poster stand-alone without an oral presentation?)  _______________
2. Is the poster/visual aid well designed? (i.e., images are high quality and have captions, good use of color/spacing/font, sections are clearly labeled, etc.) _______________

Time Management

1. Was the presenter present and ready when you arrived? ______________

Length of presentation (circle one below)     Goal: 5 minutes

1    More than 60seconds over/under 

2    46 -60  seconds over/under

3    31 - 45 seconds over/under

4    16 - 30 seconds over/under

5    Less than 15 seconds over/under

Overall Score ________________ / 50 points

Note that the categories are topic dependent, and does not apply to which academic area you are from. The categories are self-select, but the GPSC committee retains the right to decide on which category you should be in.

1. Communication and Expression

• Research that involves compilation, analysis, and manipulation of data, ideas, and/or methods of sharing information. (i.e. media, citizen science, pedagogy etc.)

2. Community, Culture, and Society

• Research regarding social, economic, cultural and/or political issues. (i.e. community initiatives, language development, social justice, public policy etc.)

3. Technology and Innovation

• Research producing advancements or novel techniques/methods, or entrepreneurial endeavors. May incorporate engineering of devices or utilize digital/computer technologies. (i.e. app development, software/hardware, digital humanities, innovative startups etc.)

4. Human Health

• Research impacting the well-being of humans at the individual, community, and global levels. (i.e. healthcare policy, mental health developments, medical devices, insects as a form of protein etc.)

5. Environmental Impact

• Research confronting environmental issues and concerns, anywhere on the local to global spectrum. (i.e. sustainability projects, natural disasters, pollution mitigation etc.)